Thyroid Cancer

Hi folks -

Well, the other shoe dropped.  I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer today.  I know its the least scary type of cancer, with the lowest, lowest casualty rate (especially for people in my age range and with a cancer as small as mine), so I'm not really freaking out - I'm just a little shocked, surprised, and morbidly amused.

I know that sounds strange, but it's sort of my sense of humor.  Everything had been going too well, so I was thinking another shoe had to drop.  Well, it did.  Right on my thyroid.  Serves me right for thinking that way.

The big thing on my mind, weirdly, is the fear that having to go on thyroid medications for the rest of my life may undo all the weight loss I've managed to achieve over the past two years.

Anyone have any experience of what life is like without a thyroid?  Does one tend to gain weight or lose weight on the meds afterwards?

 Don, 

I dont have answers to your questions, but I wanted to send you a quick note.   I know that this isn't as scary as it could be, but the C-word is always a scare.  I am sure you will do well, and think about what a better place you are in to deal with this now.  Your body is so much stronger than it had been, and you will handle all of the treatments and meds so much better than you would have before surgery.

Good luck and I'll be wishing you the best!

Danielle

Thanks, Danielle!

It did occur to me at first how ironic it was to go through all this work to get into the best health of my life only to get cancer.  Your post helped me think about  it in a different perspective - maybe I was meant to get healthy in order to deal with the cancer a little easier?

I like your brain.  

I still have my thyroid, but it is underactive.  I take 75 mcg of Levothyroxine daily and have maintained a 115 pound weightloss for 4 years.  No worries there.

I take care of patients who have had their thyroids removed frequently.  The surgery itself is no big deal.  If you are worried at all about the scar, you might consider traveling to have it done. 

Dr. Kuppersmith, in Bryan/College Station, Texas, does it robotically at the hospital I work at (College Station Medical Center).  He is one of the few surgeons doing it this way and we have many patients travel from out of state to have it performed here.

Good luck and keep up your weird sense of humor.

Thanks, Sharyn!  Much appreciated...I'm lucky enough to have an HMO at Cedars Sinai, one of the best Hospitals in the world.  They don't do the surgery robotically, but I've been told the scar will be so tiny that I'll never even notice it.

I really appreciate your feedback on this - I'm a little more centered today, I was still a little wiggy when I posted this last night.

If you need to vent we're here for you... you'll be just fine!

Thankya, Tony!  Much appreciated.  I knew people on here wouldn't think I was crazy that I heard the word "cancer" and immediately worried that this whole thing might make me fat again rather than worry about dying...weird, huh?

Hi Don,

Like Sharyn, I've been hypothyroid for many years.  I'be been just fine with the thyroid medication all along, until just now actually.  My weight loss has been on the slow side since my surgery and I recently had blood tests that indicated that since my RNY I've been malabsorbing my medication.  They just increased my meds last week and I think I can feel the difference already.  More energy, less constipation, less depression - it's all good again!

I'm so sorry you have to deal with the scare of being diagnosed with cancer, but taking a tiny pill every day - well, you don't need to worry about that.

Nadine

Thanks Nadine!  Didn't occur to me that malabsorbtion might be an issue post-RNY for the thyroid meds.  I have my 1 year followup with my internist next week - thanks for making me realize I should touch base with her about all this....

 I can't imagine how you must feel. You have been so successful with your weight loss soI am sure you are going to get thru this with flying colors.